Rubus neomexicanus

Plant: shrub; Erect, (0.5-)1-3(-4) m tall; stems perennial, the equivalent of primocanes and floricanes on the same branch; bark shredding; plants mostly eglandular; prickles absent Leaves: deciduous, often larger on first-year's growth, simple, palmately lobed, irregularly serrate to dentate, cordate in outline, 4-9(-14) cm long, (3-)5-9(-15) cm wide, pubescent above, soft-pubescent below; lobes 3-5, these often again lobed, the primary lobes usually obtuse to acute INFLORESCENCE: mostly from second year's growth, terminating short branches or in leaf axils, obscurely bracteate with 1(-2) flowers Flowers: sepals reflexed to ascending, caudate, 5-22 mm long, the main portion lanceolate to ovate; petals white, (8-)11-33 mm long; ovaries glabrous; styles hairy. Fruit: hardly palatable, subhemispherical, weakly coherent, separating from the torus; drupelets red, glabrous, thinly fleshy, soon drying Misc: Forested, often mesic, mountain slopes and canyons; 1400-2850 m (4600-9400 ft); Apr-Sep REFERENCES: Brasher, Jeffrey W. 2001. Rosaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 33(1).

Brasher 2001

Common Name: New Mexico raspberry Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Subshrub Wetland Status: FAC General: Unarmed shrub, erect and 1-3 m tall, the stems with shredding bark. Leaves: Alternate, deciduous, simple and palmately lobed with irregular serrate to dentate margins, often cordate in overall outline, 4-9 cm long and 5-9 cm wide, pubescent above and soft-pubescent below with 3-5 lobes, these obtuse to acute. Flowers: Terminal and cymose on short branches or in leaf axils with white petals 11-33 mm long, the hypanthium bears sepals, petals, and stamens, these usually 5-merous and distinct, the petals showy. Fruits: Minute and subhemispherical, weakly coherent, the druplets red, thinly fleshy and soon drying. Ecology: Found on forested slopes often in mesic sites and canyons from 4,500-9,500 ft (1372-2896 m), flowers April-September. Distribution: Ranges from Arizona and New Mexico into northern Mexico and north to southeast Utah. Notes: Often distinct as one of two unarmed species of Rubus in Arizona, distinguished from the other species R. parviflorus by having hairy styles, and the drupelets not having a pubescent cushion, much smaller leaves, and an unpalatable fruit. There is a little uncertainty in the taxonomy of this species, with some referring to it as R. deliciosus var. neomexicanus. Ethnobotany: Unknown, as the fruits are miniscule. Etymology: Rubus comes from Latin ruber for -red- and word meaning -bramble-, while neomexicanus means of or from New Mexico. Synonyms: None Editor: SBuckley 2012